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Description

From the HAER report: The Pigtail Bridge is one of a series of bridges constructed by the South Dakota State Highway Commission during the development of Custer State Park. The bridge helped facilitate motor tourism in the Black Hills by establishing a link between the newly developed Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park.

In keeping with the contemporary park manager's preferences for naturalistic design, the bridge was carefully integrated into its surroundings and was originally constructed from local pine.

The unusual "pigtail" configuration consists of a relatively short, straight span that forms part of a spiral ramp, allowing the roadway to gain elevation quickly in constricted terrain by looping back over itself in a tight 270-degree curve. The South Dakota Highway Commission employed this configuration in several locations in the Black Hills, but this is the only "Pigtail Bridge" in Wind Cave National Park.